PORTLAND — Chance Conley made his mark during his four-year career in the Portland boys tennis program, and now has his sights set on a new challenge.

In November, the Raider senior standout made his college choice official by signing his national letter of intent to continue his tennis career at the University of Detroit Mercy. He will be a freshman at the school this fall.

Being from a small town, Conley said he wanted to be able to experiance something new, like living in a big city, but also wanted to stay close to his family.

"(UDM) is close to home, but it allows me to break away from my small town a bit," he said.

Conley began playing tennis when he was 7 years old. Over the past few years, he has worked with teaching pro Mike Hodges, and competed in numerous tournaments around the Midwest.

After years of working to improve his game, Conley said having the opportunity to play at a Division I school is a rewarding accomplishment.

"When I was younger, I was told how difficult it is to play at a Division I school," Conley said. "When I signed, I didn't think of it as proving others wrong, but proving to myself that I was capable of doing it.

"(UDM) Coach (Grant) Asher was excited when I called. He hadn't been able to see my matches in high school, but he had heard a lot of good things from Mike Sienko, who was my biggest rival in high school, and that's when he contacted me."

Sienko, a senior at Williamston, and Conley earned wins against each other in the last two No. 1 singles finals in the Division 4 state tournament. In 2011, Conley finished the season by winning the Division 4 state title, while Sienko defeated Conley this past fall for the finals crown.

Conley and Sienko have also faced off in numerous Capital Area Activities Conference White dual meets and league tournaments.

Asher said Conley has many strong attributes as a tennis player, and he is happy he chose to sign with UDM.

"I am excited to have Chance aboard," he said. "He is a Michigan boy who has a ton of talent and is very strong.

"He hits a hard ball and will be a great fit to our program."

During his high school career, Conley posted a record of 124-21 as the team's No. 1 singles player all four years. He was also named First-Team All CAAC, First-Team All-State and team MVP all four years of high school.

Portland coach Jim Niebling said not only has Conley been a strong player on the court, but he is also a great person off it.

"Chance has been the most significant player in the history of our program," Niebling said. "Plus, he is a terrific individual."

Page 2 of 2 - Conley will be studying biology at UDM. He said that gives him a common bond with most of his future teammates.